The Oil crisis of 1970s brought into sharp focus the need for conservation of petroleum products due to the enormous hike in country’s import bill. The Government in response set up the Petroleum Conservation Action Group (PCAG) in 1976, which reported that a conservation potential of about 20% existed in major sectors of the economy. PCAG was subsequently reconstituted on 10th August’ 1978 as Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) with a vision to become a center of excellence for conservation of hydrocarbons & environment protection for sustainable development, of our inherent strength.

Petroleum Conservation Research Association is a registered society set up under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India (MoP&NG). PCRA is a national government agency engaged in promoting conservation of petroleum products & energy efficiency in various sectors of economy.  It helps the government in proposing policies and strategies for petroleum conservation, aimed at reducing excessive dependence of the country on oil requirement. 

PCRA aims at making oil conservation a national movement. As part of its mandate, PCRA is entrusted with the task of creating awareness amongst the masses about the importance, methods and benefits of conserving petroleum products & emission reduction. It sponsors R&D activities for the development of fuel-efficient equipment / devices. The other major activities being carried out by PCRA are Driver training programs/Workshops on fuel efficient driving, Model depot projects for State Transport Undertakings for efficient operations, Energy Audits for energy conservation & energy efficiency potential, ISO 50001 certification for Energy Management System, Perform-Achieve-Trade(PAT) for designated consumers to reduce specific energy consumption, Fuel oil diagnostic studies to identify energy efficiency opportunities, Development of fuel economy norms for Heavy Duty Vehicles, workshops/ exhibitions, consumer meets, education films/TV spots, hoarding/ electronic display, distribution of printed literature. Over the years, PCRA has enlarged its role in improving productivity in use of various sources of energy, for the purpose of achieving environment protection and sustainable development.

The demand of petroleum products in the country is growing steadily and Govt. Policy as spelt out in India hydrocarbon vision 2025 considers issues such as energy security, use of alternate fuels and interchangeability of technology as vital to ensure that mix of energy sources used in economy is optimal and sustainable.
Towards its mission for efficient energy utilization and environment protection, PCRA is working with the support of Public Sector Oil & Gas Companies, Government & Non-Government Organizations, Research Institutes and Laboratories, Educational Institutes, Consumer Associations and other organizations.

Revisiting the Mandate
PCRA has made all endeavour to deliver on its mandate for nearly 4 decades. With changing time, it is imperative to revisit our mandate so that it is in synchronisation with challenges of the day and future.
In view of the above, PCRA solicit the opinion/suggestion of the People of India to add/delete so that the spectrum of its mandate can be widened.

For more information regarding present PCRA activities , please visit www.pcra.org